READING: Psalms 1-3, Acts 17:1-15
“His delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.”
Psalm 1:2
Here’s what I’ve experienced in the last several days. First, I taught a discipleship class all last week at Southeastern Seminary. During that week, we worked on scripture memorization as one necessary spiritual discipline. I asked the class this simple question: “If you did not have your Bible and your ministry were limited to the Word you already have stored in your heart, how much could you do?” The question challenged me as much as them.
Next, I preached on Sunday from Joshua 1, where God commanded the Hebrew leader, “Be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it” (Josh. 1:7-8). I spoke of two phrases that summarize the command: be saturated in the Word and submitted to the Word.
Then, I read these words in today’s texts: the righteous man’s “delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night” (Psa. 1:2), followed by the Bereans' commitment to examine “the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11). Digging into the Bible leads to belief (like many of the Bereans), and those who do believe are then characterized by a commitment to be dripping in the Word. Indeed, meditating on the Word and reciting it day and night set the righteous apart from the wicked.
I cannot read these words without again recognizing the power and the joy of scripture memorization – so I make an upgraded commitment to that spiritual discipline. Perhaps you will join me in that task.*
ACTION STEPS:
- Pray about your own commitment to meditating on and reciting the Word.
- Plan to memorize a Bible verse this week.
PRAYER: “God, I make this renewed commitment to Scripture memorization. Help me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Psalms 4-6, Acts 17:16-34
*See my blog post here for more reasons to do scripture memorization.